Liverpool seek Carabao Cup momentum against Southampton

Liverpool return to Anfield with the Carabao Cup offering a fresh chance to assert themselves in domestic competition. The Reds, record winners of this trophy with ten triumphs, welcome Southampton in a third-round tie that carries history, expectation and the possibility of another young player writing his name into club folklore.

Records and history at stake

Liverpool have reached the final in three of the last four seasons and will again be fancied to progress deep into the competition. The two clubs are familiar foes in this setting. This is the ninth time they have been drawn together in the League Cup, dating back to semi-finals in 1987 and 2017.

The head-to-head record tilts firmly in Liverpool’s favour. They have won each of the last eight Anfield clashes between the sides, with Southampton’s last positive result a goalless draw in May 2017. A goal for the home side on Tuesday will take them to 200 scored in all matches against the Saints, another reminder of their dominance in this fixture.

Ngumoha on cusp of Liverpool history

For all the focus on records, eyes will also be on Rio Ngumoha, a teenager on the brink of setting his own milestone. Should he find the net, he would become the youngest Liverpool player ever to score in the League Cup at 17 years and 25 days, surpassing Ben Woodburn’s previous record by 20 days.

It is a prospect that captures the spirit of the Carabao Cup, a competition where young talent is given a stage. Supporters relish the thought of Ngumoha grasping his opportunity, adding to a lineage of youngsters who have used this stage as a springboard.

Past encounters and recent form

The Reds have enjoyed rich success in this tournament when overcoming Southampton. On each of the last four occasions they have beaten the Saints in the League Cup, Liverpool have gone on to reach the final. The only victory in that run that yielded silverware came in Cardiff in 2003, though defeats at Wembley in 1987, 2016 and most recently 2025 still burn in memory.

Other reminders of history hang over this fixture. Thirty-nine years ago to the day, Liverpool beat Fulham 10-0 in a League Cup tie at Anfield, equalling the record for the competition’s biggest win. Meanwhile, Southampton carry the honour of being the first club to knock Liverpool out of the competition, a 2-1 triumph at Anfield in November 1960.

Southampton arrive having beaten Northampton Town and Norwich City without conceding, while their trips to Anfield have brought managerial change with every visit. This time it is Will Still who takes charge, following Ivan Juric, Russell Martin, Nathan Jones and Ralph Hasenhuttl in recent years.

For Liverpool, it is a chance to move one step closer to an 11th League Cup crown and to test the depth of a squad that has its eyes firmly on multiple fronts.